Dejounte Murray Is Expected To Make Season Debut Against Utah
On Friday, Pelicans coach James Borrego said Murray was really close to making his season debut as he had fully practiced on Wednesday and Thursday. Murray was even upgraded to doubtful on the Pelicans injury report against the 76ers before ultimately being ruled out, meaning that he has been inactive for nearly 13 months due to his torn Achilles.
According to Rod Walker of NOLA, the Pelicans are now targeting Tuesday’s contest against the Jazz.
“James Borrego on Dejounte Murray: “I expect him to be there in the next couple of games. Hopefully it’s Tuesday night. We’d all be excited for that,” Walker tweeted before the game against the 76ers.
Murray has only played 31 games for the Pelicans since New Orleans sent a boatload of capital to Atlanta for the former all-second defensive team selection. Dyson Daniels was among four players and two first-rounders sent to the Hawks for Murray. The Hawks used one of the first-rounders on Drake Powell, with the No. 22 pick in this draft, and subsequently sent him to Brooklyn as part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade. They then flipped Porzingis to Golden State for Buddy Hield and Jonathan Kuminga.
More significantly, Murray has struggled to stay healthy and be productive. Before suffering the season-ending Achilles injury (January 31, 2025), Murray missed 17 games due to a fractured left hand. He averaged 17.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 3.4 turnovers last season. Additionally, he knocked down 1.7 threes with shooting splits of 39.3/29.9/82.3.
What Will Murray’s Role and Expectations Be When He Returns?
Still, Borrego has high expectations of Murray when he is on the floor.
“I’m expecting a lot from him,” Borrego said, per Walker. “He’s coming off a massive injury, but what I’ve seen has been encouraging. I look forward to watching him.”
Murray is likely to be on a minutes restriction once he does return. More than likely, Borrego will bring the 6-4 combo guard off the bench as the first guard behind Jeremiah Fears and Jordan Poole.
“Once Murray makes his return, all eyes in New Orleans will be on the former All-Star,” Cem Yolbulan of The Sports Illustrated. He is obviously not going to turn the season around for the Pelicans, but how he looks upon his return will determine how the roster looks and where Murray plays next season.
“Murray doesn’t have to look like his former All-Star self when he is back on the court,” Yolbulan continued. “He just has to prove that he can stay healthy for an extended period of time while looking physically and athletically fit. He will likely have a small role at first, so if he can give the Pelicans solid 20 minutes off the bench on both ends of the floor, he will do wonders for his trade value.”
What exactly does Murray need to show on the court? First, health is the most important thing to Murray. Murray has been healthy for most of his career, except for the last two seasons. He also needs to show he can handle the game’s pace while still defending. Lastly, he needs to demonstrate that his midrange game is reliable.
